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Close Rolls
(1447-1454)The close rolls of the 26th to 32nd years of the reign of king Henry VI record the main artery of government administration in England, the orders sent out day by day to individual officers, especially sheriffs of shires: they are an exceptionally rich source for so early a period. There is also some material relating to Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the English possessions in France.

BEG. Cost: £4.00.

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Officers and tenants of the Scottish crown
(1488-1496)In 1887 the 10th volume of Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum, or The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, was published in Edinburgh as part of the Scottish Series of Chronicles and Memorials. The main text is a transcript in extended Latin, but with some passages reduced to an abstract in English (in italics), of the rolls of the Scottish royal exchequer from 19 June 1488 to 12 October 1496 (rolls cclxxviii to ccxcv, old numbers ccxciii to cccix). This more or less continuous series alternates between accounts of the Ballivi ad Extra (royal chamberlains, lessees of lordships, rangers of wards, receivers &c) and those of the Custumars (receivers of customary payments and similar revenues) and bailies (bailiffs) of burghs (boroughs). In all, they give a summary description of all these sources of royal revenue - and not only mention the payers and receivers in general, but also refer to many occasional payments to and receipts from individuals hardly otherwise found in the surviving records. An appendix (pages 629 to 763) of rentals of royal property throughout Scotland in the same period gives a rich harvest of personal names; and another (764-772), an Index in Libros Responsionum, lists persons to whom sasine (seisin) was granted in 1492 to 1496.

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Scottish litigants, rebels and cautioners
(1585-1592)The Privy Council of Scotland exercised a superior judicial authority in the kingdom, and consequently received and dealt with a constant stream of petitions, as well as dealing with the internal security of the state. This register of the council from 1 August 1585 to 31 July 1592, in the reign of king James VI, was edited by David Masson, and published under the direction of the Lord Clerk Register of Scotland in 1881. Some of the individuals mentioned are the complainants, those of whom they complained, and the sureties on both sides: at this period, some of the complainants are alleging serious attacks, often of a feuding nature. Many of the bonds entered into by the cautioners are promises to keep the peace towards such enemies. Failure to answer to the council when summoned was a serious contempt, leading to being denounced a rebel, with serious consequences. But 'horning' was also used in the pursuit of debts: there was no imprisonment for debt in Scotland, but a creditor could have an obstinate debtor ordered, in the sovereign's name, to pay what was due, failing which, the debtor could be put to the horn, denounced as a rebel, and imprisoned as a rebel. The main text (to page 774) is from the Acta Secreti Concilii, containing the minutes of the Privy Council, with intermixed Acta Proper (political edicts), Decreta (judicial decisions), Acta Cautionis (acts of caution) and Bands (registration of bonds). After that are printed some miscellaneous Privy Council documents from the same years: additional acts of caution (775-778); ordinances and acts anent the Borders and the North (779-814); and miscellaneous privy council papers (815-834). The sources most productive of names, the Acta Cautionis and Registration of Bands, are also the most repetitive in form, and are not transcribed verbatim and literatim: nevertheless, one of the editor's rules was for 'All proper names and names of places occurring in the originals to be preserved in the abstracts without exception, and in the exact original spelling.'

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Liegemen and Traitors, Pirates and Spies
(1591-1592)The Privy Council of queen Elizabeth was responsible for internal security in England and Wales, and dealt with all manner of special and urgent matters

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Liegemen and Traitors, Pirates and Spies
(1591-1592)The Privy Council of queen Elizabeth was responsible for internal security in England and Wales, and dealt with all manner of special and urgent matters

BEG. Cost: £4.00.

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Scottish litigants, rebels and cautioners
(1592-1599)The Privy Council of Scotland exercised a superior judicial authority in the kingdom, and consequently received and dealt with a constant stream of petitions, as well as dealing with the internal security of the state. This register of the council from August 1592 to May 1599, in the reign of king James VI, was edited by David Masson and published under the direction of the Deputy Clerk Register of Scotland in 1882. The publication brings together the contents of the principal register (Acta Secreti Concilii) with acts and bands (bonds) of caution (surety) from the registers called Acta Cautionis (pp 561-730); Acts and Ordinances relating to the Borders and the North (731-748); and Miscellaneous Privy Council Papers (749-769). Many of the individuals mentioned are the complainants, those of whom they complained, and the sureties on both sides: at this period, many of the complainants are alleging serious attacks, often of a feuding nature. Many of the bonds entered into by the cautioners are promises to keep the peace towards such enemies. Failure to answer to the council when summoned was a serious contempt, leading to being denounced a rebel, with serious consequences.

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Scottish litigants, rebels and cautioners
(1610-1613)The Privy Council of Scotland exercised a superior judicial authority in the kingdom, and consequently received and dealt with a constant stream of petitions, as well as dealing with the internal security of the state. This register of the council from July 1610 to February 1613, in the reign of king James VI, was edited by David Masson and published under the direction of the Deputy Clerk Register of Scotland in 1889. The publication starts with the Acta and Decreta, a chronological consolidation of material from Acta Secreti Concilii proper, the Decreta, the Book of Commissions, the Book of Sederunts, the Minute Book of Processes, and The Book of the Isles. There is then a section of Royal and Other Letters (pp. 565-644); then acts and bands (bonds) of caution (surety) from the registers called Acta Cautionis (pp. 647-690); and Miscellaneous Privy Council Papers (693-746). Many of the individuals mentioned are the complainants, those of whom they complained, and the sureties on both sides: at this period, many of the complainants are alleging serious attacks, often of a feuding nature. Many of the bonds entered into by the cautioners are promises to keep the peace towards such enemies. Failure to answer to the council when summoned was a serious contempt, leading to being denounced a rebel, with serious consequences.

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British in the East
(1625-1629)The East India State Papers centre on the records of the East India Company, trading to India, the East Indies, Persia and China. They include the Court Minutes of the East India Company.

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British merchant seamen
(1835-1840)At this period, the foreign trade of ships plying to and from the British isles involved about 150,000 men on 15,000 ships; and the coasting trade about a quarter as many more. A large proportion of the seamen on these ships were British subjects, and so liable to be pressed for service in the Royal Navy; but there was no general register by which to identify them, so in 1835 parliament passed a Merchant Seamen's Registration Bill. Under this act a large register of British seamen was compiled, based on ships' crew lists gathered in British and Irish ports, and passed up to the registry in London. A parliamentary committee decided that the system devised did not answer the original problem, and the original register was abandoned after less than two years: the system was then restarted in this form, with a systematic attempt to attribute the seamen's (ticket) numbers, and to record successive voyages. The register records the number assigned to each man; his name; age; birthplace; quality (S = seaman, &c.); and the name and official number of his ship, with the date of the crew list (usually at the end of a voyage). Most of the men recorded were born in the British Isles, but not all. The system was still very cumbersome, because the names were amassed merely under the first two letters of surname; an attempt was made to separate out namesakes by giving the first instance of a name (a), the second (b), and so on. During 1840 this series of ledgers was abandoned, and a new set started with names grouped together by surname. BT 112/4

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Outstanding soldiers of the Hong Kong Regiment
(1893-1901)Each year the best soldiers of the regiment were chosen for long service and good conduct medals. This register gives rank, name, regimental number, and date of recommendation. (The sample scan is from the East Surrey regiment). The register is essentially a register of recommendations, annotated with details of the issue of the medals. Where, for one reason or another, the medal was not issued, the entry is marked 'N. S.' (not sanctioned) and struck through. The Hong Kong regiment consisted of Indian soldiers, and we have treated the second or last name in each case as the 'surname', e. g., Khan in Firoz Khan. The ranks represented are private, nai(c)k (equivalent to corporal), lance-naick, havildar (equivalent to sergeant), colour havildar, pay havildar, quartermaster havildar, bugler and musician.